Fight against Maoists not law & order problem: CPM

The government should fight the
Maoist militancy "politically" and "ideologically" instead of
treating the problem purely as law and order situation, CPI(M)
General Secretary Prakash Karat said here today.

Kochi: The government should fight the
Maoist militancy "politically" and "ideologically" instead of
treating the problem purely as law and order situation, CPI(M)
General Secretary Prakash Karat said here today.

He was speaking on the recent Maoist attack in
Chhattisgarh which claimed the lives of 76 CRPF personnel.

Maoists are operating predominantly in the tribal areas,
which are remote and mountainous regions and these are areas
where tribals are the most exploited and deprived socially and
economically, he said.

The biggest assets for the tribal people is their land,
he said.

"But now there is displacement from that. If you allow
mining companies to come to indiscriminately in Chhattisgarh,
parts of Orissa... That is what is happening today. Government
has allowed hundred per cent FDI in mining."

On the April 27 opposition hartal against price rise of
essential commodities, he said "We are not for toppling or
destabilising the government."

Food inflation has touched over 17 per cent, the
`highest` in the world. Petrol and diesel prices have been
hiked and excise and customs duties gone up. Government should
scrap the increase in excise and customs duty which has a
cascading effect, he said.

On PSUs` disinvestment, he said all trade unions should
take up the entire question of disinvestment and launch a
united struggle.

"BSNL employees went on strike yesterday. Sail, Coal
India... a series of disinvestment are being planned," he
said.

Referring to S N C Lavalin case in which CBI has
chargesheeted CPI(M) Kerala secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, he
said "we have always maintained that the case was politically
motivated. We will fight it politically and legally".